For Riley Dasler, the novelty of having breakfast at school on his first day may have been lost on him.
Everything was new to the 5-year old. But for his fellow pupils at Corstorphine School, Dunedin, having a free breakfast before classes started was extraordinary.
The meal was offered as part of the New Zealand Red Cross Breakfast in Schools programme, which was launched at the school yesterday.
Fifty-one pupils sat around school desks salivating as Mayor Peter Chin gave a short speech, and soon after, all were drinking cups of hot Milo and eating Weetbix and toast with a variety of condiments.
Principal Marion Carter said that while the free breakfast offered pupils a chance to fuel their brains before classes, it also offered a unique social environment.
With mouths covered in jam, pupils chatted about what happened on the weekend while parents bobbed about buttering and delivering toast, she said.
New Zealand Red Cross southern regional manager Jim Wilson said the breakfast programme was offered in 18 decile one primary schools nationwide, with support from Countdown supermarkets. It was established after Red Cross reviewed its roles in the community.
‘‘We want to increase our services to the vulnerable in New Zealand while still maintaining our services overseas.
‘‘These kids have had a positive experience here today. Our community is built on a whole lot of small positive experiences. These are the things that create successful learning environments.''
Corstorphine School is the only Otago primary school to adopt the programme but several other schools have established or joined similar programmes in recent years.
Forbury School principal Janice Tofia said she established a breakfast and lunch programme four years ago with help from Rotary and other members of the community.
‘‘The need for a breakfast programme was great - you could see it was holding children back from learning. Some kids come to school with a bag of chips and a couple of biscuits. That's not enough for a growing child.''
During the past two years, the Government has run the Fruit in Schools programme in conjunction with School Support, the Heart Foundation, the Cancer Society and Sport Otago.
The programme was part of an $8.6 million funding package for cancer prevention and seven Dunedin schools - Calton Hill, Caversham, Forbury, Brockville, St Patricks, Corstorphine and Te Kura Kaupapa O Otepoti - and one rural school, at Tokoiti, were chosen to participate.
The schools receive fruit twice a week to provide each pupil a piece a day for three years. Time is set aside for pupils to eat the fruit in the classroom.
Nearly 50 Dunedin schools also sell up to 300 Smart Lunches a day to their pupils for $2. This low-cost initiative was established to give pupils a healthy alternative to the popular pies, fries and fizzy drinks.
